The Earth Story

International Dark Skies Park – Galloway Forest Park, Scotland

This week is International Dark Skies week (see our post http://on.fb.me/1NynIi2). We’re celebrating by highlighting 3 Dark Skies Parks (DSP) – places that have been certified by the International Dark-Sky Association as having exceptional starry skies.

The UK’s largest Forest Park, Galloway Forest Park, has over 75,000 hectares of land, few buildings that need lighting, and relatively few neighbors. In 2009, it became the first DSP in the UK after Scotland’s Forestry Commission turned in a 100-page application. They had to state Galloway’s case for becoming a DSP, prove that the night sky meets the conditions for certification, commit to providing educational programming on astronomy and light pollution, prove they have support from local government and nearby private property owners (including the villages of Dumfries & Galloway), and provide a management plan to prevent light pollution long-term both within and near the park.

Not only was Galloway approved, it was certified as Gold tier. This means that the full array of visible sky phenomena can be viewed—e.g. aurora, airglow, Milky Way, zodiacal light, and faint meteors. The designation has allowed Galloway to promote itself as a tourist destination for anyone interested in seeing an exceptional night sky.

Photo Credit: Forestry Commission Scotland

References: http://bit.ly/1uuapE5 http://bit.ly/1IDMFVV http://bit.ly/1DcS7tb

International Dark Skies Park – The Headlands, Emmet County, Michigan

This week is International Dark Skies week (see our post http://on.fb.me/1NynIi2). We’re celebrating by highlighting 3 Dark Skies Parks (DSP) – places that have been certified by the International Dark-Sky Association as having exceptional starry skies.

Located on the shore of Lake Michigan near the Straits of Mackinaw, the Headlands is a Silver-tier DSP. Silver is awarded for parks where “Brighter sky phenomena can be regularly viewed, with fainter ones sometimes visible. Milky Way is visible in summer and winter”. The Headlands was the 6th DSP in the U.S. when it was awarded the certification in 2011. It is still the only such park in the state of Michigan.

It took about 4 years of effort to earn the DSP status and required turning in a comprehensive application that was 75-pages long. As part of the application process, staff and volunteers had to take light meter readings of the night sky, provide copies of Emmet County’s stringent lighting ordinances, provide letters of support from local and state government, demonstrate a commitment to educational programming, and inventory all light fixtures (including their light output) at the 3 structures in the park.

The Headlands includes about 225 hectares (550 acres) of woodlands, 3.5km (2 miles) of undeveloped shoreline, endangered plants, and a lot of wildlife. The closest town is Mackinaw City about 3km (3.8 miles) away, with a year-round population of just 809 people, although the population increases significantly during the summer tourist season. There are no large cities nearby, which helps to keep light pollution relatively low.

- RE

Photo Credit: Robert de Jonge via International Dark-Sky Association

References: http://bit.ly/1uuapE5 http://www.emmetcounty.org/darkskypark/

International Dark Skies Park – Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

This week is International Dark Skies week (see our post http://on.fb.me/1NynIi2). We’re celebrating by highlighting 3 Dark Skies Parks (DSP) – places that have been certified by the International Dark Skies Association as having exceptional starry skies.

In 1908, Natural Bridges became the first National Monument in Utah thanks to "Kachina," "Owachomo", and "Sipapu" - the 3 impressive natural bridges found in the 31km park. In 2007, it also became the first Dark Skies Park. The monument earned a Gold tier certification, meaning that the full array of visible sky phenomena can be viewed—e.g. aurora, airglow, Milky Way, zodiacal light, and faint meteors. National Park Service (NPS) staff note that it is possible to see 15,000 stars throughout the night, while more urban environments may see only 500 (how they arrived at those numbers wasn’t stated).

Located in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau, Natural Bridges has virtually no light pollution coming into the remote park. It does have a few buildings, so the NPS staff reduced the number of lights around them and replaced much of the outdoor lighting with new technologies. The new bulbs and fixtures give off less light and direct light downwards.

Reducing light pollution does more than give us 15,000 stars to look at; it helps nocturnal animals in the park that rely on the cover of darkness for survival. Humans, animals, and plants also have circadian rhythms that are affected by light.

People who are interested in seeing Natural Bridge’s gold-tier dark skies can camp within the park. As part of the DSP certification, parks must offer education about the night sky, so the NPS offers evening programs throughout the summer.

Photo Credit: Wally Pacholka www.astropics.com

References: http://bit.ly/1uuapE5

http://1.usa.gov/1njSvBg

http://1.usa.gov/1DVCGds

International Dark Sky Week

April 13 through 19 is International Dark Sky Week. This annual event was started by a high-school student in 2003 as part of Global Astronomy Month. The week is a celebration of the night sky and an effort to raise awareness about the negative effects of light pollution.

Many of us have never seen the Milky Way from our homes; light pollution obscures our view. It impacts our circadian rhythms (physical, mental, and behavioral changes that roughly follow a 24-hour cycle related to light and darkness) as well as those of animals and plants. It also disrupts navigation of birds and other animals to the point where they may die as a result. It even contributes to global warming since all that light is produced largely by burning fossil fuels.

Dark Sky Week encourages us to think about whether or not all the lights we leave on all night are really necessary. It also promotes light technology that contributes less pollution. It aims to remind us that the night sky is part of our heritage; inspiring scientists and artists alike throughout human history.

If you’d like to do something to help, you can still participate in the citizen science project we told you about on Pi Day (http://on.fb.me/1CCLaz1). The goal of this project is to give scientists more data about light pollution to help them better understand the problem so they can also look for solutions.

- RE

Image Credit: “The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh, 1889

References: http://bit.ly/1ciRZk5

http://1.usa.gov/1Emhg3n

Hunting for night

Have you ever known something spectacular is happening in the night sky, wanted to see it, and stepped outside only to find that you couldn’t find it because you were in a city? Whether it was a dim Mars close to Venus and the Moon last week (http://tmblr.co/Zyv2Js1e2e1C7) or Comet Lovejoy earlier this year (http://tmblr.co/Zyv2Js1aHARFU), city lights constantly make viewing the sky a challenge. This property even has a name: light pollution.

Some areas are known for their dark skies; the International Dark Sky Association maintains a list of prime viewing areas (http://tmblr.co/Zyv2Js1Dk2Gnt), but what if you wanted to see the sky and just couldn’t drive to a national park that day?

Arch at night Continuing with the combined themes of National Park week and International Dark Sky Week (see our previous posts below), this image captures Delicate Arch in Arches National Park appearing black in front of a spectacular night sky. Image credit: National Park Service http://www.nature.nps.gov/night/ Previous posts: https://www.facebook.com/TheEarthStory/posts/675892885805092 https://www.facebook.com/TheEarthStory/posts/676399985754382 https://www.facebook.com/TheEarthStory/posts/676955435698837

The Bortle Scale and Light Pollution The Bortle Scale is used by astronomers to rate the darkness of our skies. It ranges from 1 (darkest) to 9 (brightest). For most of us, our daily lives are spent beneath a radiance level of between 5 and 8 and rarely venture into areas ranked 3 or darker- and what a shame that is. Light pollution, while a testament to our technological advances, has blanketed our view of the universe and decoupled our relationship with the cosmos. For the millions of people living in areas where less than 20 stars can be seen in the night sky, it is practically impossible to imagine a natural sky blanketed with upwards of 2,500 stars backed by great ribbons of billions of stars which can be found in our Galaxy: The Milky Way. What are the effects of light pollution? From a research perspective, studies have demonstrated that our overuse of artificial light at night can increasingly be linked to sleep disorders, diabetes and cancer. Ecologically, habitats are disturbed and species are forced to adapt to or flee from this unnatural phenomenon. Environmentally, it is a huge waste of energy. Socially, increased light pollution can lead to a decrease in safety and security. From a psychological perspective, the lack of a brilliant dark sky can affect our humility. Without the nightly reminder of a vast cosmos, it is easy to forget how small we are, how insignificant. It is simple to imagine that we are the centre of all things when confined to a solitary closed ecosystem, this tasks gets harder when faced with the immensity of the universe before us. Before we invented civilisation, our ancestors embraced the darkness of space, wondered at the stars and contemplated the universe. Today, we immerse ourselves in artificial light; a lot of which is unnecessary and the result of bad habits. If we shield, downgrade or time our existing lighting infrastructure we could open the wonders of the night sky back up again. While artificial light has undoubtedly enriched our lives, the same has always been true of darkness- we do not need to be afraid of it. In the words of Sarah Williams “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” -Jean